I Remember Death By Its Proximity to What I Love

by Mahogany L. Browne

The long form poem is a practice of poetics in joy, gratitude, sadness, resilience and pain. This literary work serves as a practice of self-reflection and accountability in the wake of the prison system. This poem is dirge work acknowledging unjust atrocities, but reveling in our human resilience.

Genres: Poetry, African American, Race

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2021

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one twice, in digital format and in paperback, definitely get the paperback if that's an option for you, the reflow in the digital format dilutes the formatting which contributes to the overall effectiveness of the collection.

It was a beautiful and emotionally powerful collection that you really have to sit with to fully appreciate.

[Luca Suede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking, singular, and lived-in. Poetry as abolitionist pedagogy.

[Demeah Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a compelling and unique collection of poems. I've been doing a lot of research on the prison-industrial complex specifically in the USA and how it affects the lives of Black people, POC, and other marginalized members of this country. It's one of those topics that once you think about it, you can't stop thinking about it, and how glaringly obvious the issue is. It's important to note that a ton of the people who could have personal, intimate conversations about this issue are disenfranchised and unable to engage with the general public because as of 2023 there are about 1.68 million incarcerated people in the US alone. Thirty-seven percent of those people are Black. The history of injustice towards Black people in the US is well documented and for many people well-known. However, this specific issue is so often misunderstood, misrepresented, and skewed in the public consciousness to uphold the pillars of white supremacy and exploitation based on either explicitly or implicitly racist politics and policies operating under the guise of "safety" and "security". Black people often pay the cost in blood. They pay that cost with the imprisonment of their bodies and the loss of their freedom on both a physical and psychological level.

Therefore, I cannot even begin to say how important this collection of poetry is, but honestly, it speaks for itself. I Remember Death By Its Proximity to What I Love examines and engages with the reality of many Black Americans who suffer injustice in a country that ruthlessly seeks to exploit and destroy their lives and spirits. It speaks to the degradation of Black families and Black communities in the face of an unfair and indifferent justice system along with how and why they actively benefit from these injustices. Mahogany L. Browne's writing is centered around truth-telling and vulnerability, and it empowers Black Americans to see themselves in the reflection of both our love and our grief. The writing is both painful and cathartic. The poems are imaginative and poignant on every level. Even the shortest and simplest poems in this collection address the subject matter with razor-sharpness and insight. The formatting of the paperback edition is also very smart and innovative. You can feel and see how much thought went into this project and I'm so thankful to have it in my poetry collection. Mahogany L. Browne is a genius and a gem. I strongly encourage anyone involved or interested in justice and expanding their social consciousness to read this collection. It is undeniably a five-star collection of poems.

[Sundial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top-tier innovation with this book of poems.

“I remember death by its proximity to what I love because incarceration promises everyone it touches: _you will not be the same._”

[Renee Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

read in one sitting and i would recommend you also read this in one sitting for the best effect. browne’s lull is purposely suffocating. it’s haunting and it gets to a point where the poem urges a chorus in “i remember”, “i remember death”, “i remember death by its proximity to what i love”

what she does here is soooo honest and bleak and her address to the audience is so vulnerable it’s a child and an adult woman battling against each other in the effort to heal.

“When the first moon spills open like / a cavernous beast & your / mother forgets to draw the curtains / of her smile / the floorboards can be the sledgehammer”

i can’t quote it all but everything on page 38-39. read that page aloud to yourself it’s so ridiculously haunting.

[Martina Litty · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I remember death by its proximity to what I love because incarceration promises everyone it touches: you will not be the same.”

This is the first time I’ve read a full collection from Mahogany L. Browne, and I will absolutely be reading more of her work.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like everyone should read this. When are we ever going to reform the prison system? When will justice be justice?

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I no longer have the copy of this with me but there's a few lines of this collection that I found haunting.

I Remember Death by Its Proximity to What I Love is a poetry collection unlike anything else that I've read in a long time. Browne uses the form to critique and take aim at the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC). While reading it, Browne quotes abolitionist activist Angela Davis about how we're all intractably linked to the PIC in all avenues of life. The road to prison is everything once you start to see how it operates.

Haunting, vulnerable and a powerful collection of pedagogy poetry that rightfully deserves all the praise it receives.

“Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the problems that disappear from public view when the human beings contending with them are relegated to cages.” (Angela Davis)

[Natalie T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A set of deeply thought-provoking poems about incarceration in America, written from the perspective of a daughter who has been robbed of her father as he has been incarcerated for most of her life. "[Y]our kind of love requires / a space for constant grieving," Browne writes, observing that her ability to form attachments has been disrupted by the way her father was suddenly cut away from her life. Her father may be technically alive but his loving daughter grieves and mourns him, his long incarceration being a form of premature death.

Browne couples her grief with a roar of protest against our system of mass incarceration, footnoting her poems with statistics: currently there are 2.2 million people in prison or jail in the United States, and for each one, family and friends devastated and crippled by loss.

Incendiary and heartbreaking.

[Kalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are the child of or family member of someone whose been incarcerated and impacted by the carceral system this poetry book will draw you in, hold you, and speak to the parts of you that you may not show. I am blown away by how much these poems feel like the author knew my life. A great read and truly a phenomenal poetry book.

[Keturah Colburn-Burdo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read on the prison industrial complex in America.

“My father been gone a long time
but he taught me don’t nobody with any sense clap for mediocrity
so I don’t

The man-child across from me
is a Cheshire grin full of beautiful teeth

He smiles
and I see my father

He laughs
and I see my father”

[F.M Papaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poet who I have been humbled to share a room with on multiple occasions and whose grace, intellect, and talent are singular. In this book-length poem, she explores the distinctly American impact of incarceration on both a personal and collective level & its form is indicative of her poetic mastery. I have the vinyl of this collection & I'm sure it will be as brilliant as the written version!

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another reviewer mentioned they had trouble conceptualizing this as a single, long poem. So did I, and I think my failure to conceptualize this probably affected my rating, unfortunately. Nevertheless, this is an important work covering important (and heartbreaking) topics, and I would still recommend anyone interested in reading it to pick up a copy.

[paige frankenfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for my class but was such a great way of opening my mind up to those who have been incarcerated and their families

i’m not usually a poem person but this collection was really good and i think it’s a great tool for understanding people

also the emotion within each poem is powerful and shows how important language is

[Kora Dzbinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

children of incarcerated parents always speak each other's language, but this was even more than that. it's 73 page reminder that abolition is a journey of love. a quick read that will stick with me for a long time.

[federico garcía LOCA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever poetry merely mentions the Bay I get all in a tizzy. Ty Bestie Luca for sharing this one with me.
Each of these felt like their own portal, and also unlike other poetry I’ve read it’s clear to me they belong all together in this collection, which was cool

[Emily McClard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great poetry book about the prison-industrial complex. Very moving prose full of emotion even though most of the poems are quite short. Despite this they still manage to pack a powerful punch. Finished reading in one sitting.

[Vivek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I had trouble conceptualizing this as one long poem.

[Marinel DeBerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read that spoke the reality of incarceration and the effects on all parties.

[Kate Seader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Antibody tests smell like Henrietta Lacks
Coming back to remind us of what happens
When you trust a house of poachers”

[kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

it reads quickly at first, but i needed time to revisit each part of the collection. i envision myself coming back to this time and time again in the future.

[Letisha Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember death by its proximity to what I love is a beautiful and terrifyingly true portrait of the US prisons systems toll on Black life. We are all of us locked up.

[Booked 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenally researched and crafted.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very powerful collection reflecting on the US prison system and its effect on the Black population. Truly impactful and very thoughtfully put together!

[Iskra Profil nije aktivan u ovo vreme. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pročitajte ovo da vidite kakvu umetnost stilskih figura,igru stiha i ljubav reči može da stvori jedna žena.

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

oof part 1 was so good

[Alana Koscove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evergreen in the chase towards its promise.

[angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

the repeating refrain will stay with me:

"I remember death by its proximity to what I love the most"

[pumpampim · Rating 3 out of 5]

no conecté mucho será culpa mía